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After a few years of adventures with the rest of his classmates, Gale Gibson had decided to take a step towards the dream that Shizu sensei inspired in him: to be a teacher. It was hard for him to leave Tempest and the others, but the memory of his teacher was still etched in his memory, so he decided to accept the position in Ingrassia, the human city that had welcomed him in those early years. He felt that he owed the school at least a few years of work, in return. His class was the most troublesome, after all, and they had made life for the principal and the other teachers quite difficult. Oh well! After a while, he wouldn't have to feel guilty about it. Probably. Looking for a place to review the tests, Gale crossed the courtyard, heading towards the staff room. He waved back to some girl students, who blushed and jumped as he passed them. Ignoring them, he quickened his pace to reach his destination. He still wasn't used to those reactions, these girls! The staff room was empty, thank goodness. He needed the silence right now. With high expectations (I need to finish this soon and go to rest!) he settled in his desk and got ready to work. This was slower than expected. Rubbing his eyes, Gale got up from his desk and headed toward the coffee area, in a far corner of the room. It was at that moment that he heard them arrive.Martha Sensei and Sylvia Sensei did not notice his presence, and continued their conversation as they entered. "Why don't we go to a bar this night?” proposed Martha sensei, with great enthusiasm. She must have needed it, since her expression was always serious, and now she had a terrifying smile on her face “This way, we celebrate the beginning of the holidays and relax a bit!”“Oh! I like the idea! “ replied Sylvia sensei with her youthful voice. She was one of the newest teachers at the school, and very popular among teachers and students, because of her beauty. She had a toned complexion, and honey-colored eyes that seemed very kind “I don't know any place, do you?”“Don't worry! I have the perfect place”“That sounds interesting, can I join?” Gale added, walking over with a coffee in his hand. Both women jumped, surprised by his presence. Seeing him, Sylvia's dark complexion flushed red. Gale took a sip, ignoring her. Martha got even more excited.“Oh! Gale Sensei! I love your enthusiasm, we could go on an outing with all the teachers! I will propose it. It will be awesome!”“Hey, Martha, don't drink too much, eh?”“Leave me be, Sylvia! I deserve to forget about the little demons for at least one night.” Sylvia didn't look convinced, but didn't say anything more. Gale secretly agreed with Martha, he adored his children, but sometimes it provoked him to want to jump out of a window. Especially after reviewing those tests.Speaking of tests, he still had a lot of work to do! The night was warm when Gale walked out the school gates. Several professors were already at the entrance, waiting for the others who had accepted the invitation to come out of their dormitories. Martha sensei and Sylvia sensei were already among the group, looking anxious. “Gale sensei!” Sylvia called excitedly, playing with her hair. She looked beautiful in that light blue dress. Sighing, Gale walked over to the girls.“Who is missing?”“Gilbert sensei only” Martha answered angrily “not even the women of the group took so long!”“He must have been distracted by something, you know how he is…” Luckily, the missing teacher came out soon after, messy as always, and they were able to get going, guided by Martha. She would take them to a new bar in town, albeit a bit far from the school. Despite this, they looked all excited, considering that the next day the holidays would start and they could go visit their homes after a long semester. “What will you do during the holidays, Gale sensei? You don't have a home in Ingrassia, do you? Will you stay at school?” asked Sylvia. Gale shook his head.“I agreed to see my adventure companions during these vacations, so I will return home.”“Oh? And who are those companions? Men, all of them?”Martha shot Sylvia a sidelong glance at the question.“You know, Kenya Misaki, and the others…”“KENYA MIZAKI????” Gilbert sensei shouted, adjusting his glasses “ THE Kenia Mizaki???”Gale rolled his eyes. He had forgotten how nerdy Gilbert could be.“Yes, the same”“Oh! Would you introduce me?”“mmmhhh….”“Huh? Why not?”“You are too enthusiastic, Gilbert sensei. It would go to Kenya´s head.”“Who is Kenya Mizaki? “ Sylvia asked. Martha, who was in the lead talking with another teacher, announced that they were approaching the bar..“You don't know him, sensei?” Gilbert asked, completely forgetting that he was too shy to talk to girls “He's one of the great champions of this era, and some say he'll be a hero one day…” Gale was grateful that they arrived at the door of the bar at that moment. Without further ado, they entered and Martha hurried to a large table, followed by everyone else. Gilbert was still talking about Kenya and how awesome he is, but Gale noticed that Sylvia was standing outside the shop, her expression tense. Following her gaze, she realized the source of the tension: one of the waitresses was a lycanthrope. Gale took a breath, holding it in his lungs for several seconds before letting it out.“Sylvia sensei?” he called her calmly. She stared back at him, as if coming out of a trance. Gale smiled at her, pretending he hadn't noticed.“Oh! Sorry. I'm coming.” They walked to the table together. Once they were seated, Martha called for a waitress. The lycanthrope waitress approached the table. He had dog ears and a tail, of a nice dark brown shade. Gilbert sensei blushed when she asked what he wanted to drink. When the waitress addressed Sylvia, she did not respond.“Miss?”“Nothing. I won't take anything” she replied, violently leaving the menu on the table.“Give her a beer” Martha interceded for her “Thank you, dear” The waitress nodded and walked away. Fortunately, the other teachers were too absorbed in their conversations to notice what had happened. Martha approached Sylvia “Is everything alright?”“Yes,” Sylvia answered curtly. From there, the alcohol began to flow and the tongues to loosen more than they should. Gale (still in his five senses, thank you), was conversing enthusiastically with Gilbert, but he could still feel Sylvia's discomfort next to him, the way she unconsciously backed away from the waitress, the way she wiped her glass every time the lycanthrope handed it over, the hateful looks she gave him out of the corner of her eyes. How could he not see it? Gale had already learned to read her expressions, her mood swings, like an open book. Not only because he was observant, but because she always settled next to him. In the dining room, at school meetings, at student presentations... trying to make conversation, asking him about his opinion on things, trying to get his attention. Someone told him that all the men and boys at school were jealous of him receiving attention from a girl like her. Gale, of course, believed that she was a beautiful young woman. However… “Gale…” Sylvia was already drunk. Her cheeks were flushed and her gaze was lost on the horizon. Gale turned completely to look at her (surprised that she didn't use honorifics as usual), thinking that maybe she was feeling sick.“You alright?”"I'm not alright!" Sylvia yelled, drawing the attention of the entire table. Gale blinked in surprise. "You haven't spoken to me since we walked in. Is Gilbert sensei THAT interesting?"“Huh?”“What is your problem with me?”The others turned to look at Gale, waiting for his answer.“Excuse me, Sylvia sensei, if I offended you…”“Exactly!”“Ha?”“You never offend me! You are always too polite with me!”Gale turned to look at Gilbert, who shrugged. Martha nodded, as if what Sylvia was saying made all the sense in the world.“I'm always… polite?”“Can't you see I'm trying to get your attention? No matter what I do, you still treat me the same as everyone else. So…. tell me. What am I missing, exactly?”“That!” commented a teacher from the other side of the table “We all want to know, right, guys?”The others nodded in agreement.“What Sylvia is trying to say” Martha intervened, always so serious “is that she likes you a lot, and wants to go out with you, Gale sensei.”“Hey! Don't ask him out on my behalf!”“My dear, it's just that your attempt was pathetic.” Sylvia gasped, shocked to be told such a thing. Probably, never in her life, there was a man she could not get. The entire table turned to look at him, probably expecting that Gale would accept the proposal. Gale couldn't blame them, it was Sylvia after all, the most beautiful teacher at the school. However, Gale only looked down and an awkward silence followed. Martha raised a disapproving eyebrow. Gilbert looked at him with jealousy. “I… I'm sorry, Sylvia sensei.”“¿¿¡Eeeeh!??”That was the whole table. Sylvia looked at him in shock.“But why? I'm I not pretty”“It's not that…”“Am I not smart enough? I do not have enough money? Enough body?“No, is not that…”“SO?” Gale ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. He didn't expect this to happen on an outing where he was supposed to have a good time. “You and I… we have very different life experiences.”“What does that even mean!?”"Well…" Gale hesitated to talk about it, but thought it best to be honest, "I just can't ignore the fact that you have such a dislike for monsters." The looks of confusion increased. Sylvia knitted her eyebrows together, starting to get angry. “What if I hate monsters? You are human, aren't you?”“I understand you, Sylvia sensei. Or at least I try, really, I try to understand. There were wars, and human lives were lost, your relatives among them…”“Why are we talking about this?”“But I grew up in Tempest.” There it was, he dropped the bomb. Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Gilbert couldn't help but comment on what everyone was wondering."Not that you grew up in Ingrassia? In the same school?”The others nodded, confused. Gale hadn't told them the whole story, really. He didn't think they even knew he was a summoned. Rimuru sensei had made them promise not to tell anyone, hoping their summoners wouldn't find out they were alive.“For a few years, yes. But at 12 I moved to Tempest, and I spent the rest of my adolescence there," he commented simply. Then he turned to Sylvia, who was pale as a sheet. “As I told you, I understand your situation, and that's why I've never commented on it. I respect your position, really. But one of my best friends is a monster, and my teacher, who saved my life, and is like a father to me, is also a monster. Therefore, I have no problem being your colleague, Sylvia sensei, but more than that is impossible for me. You and I are completely incompatible.” What a way to spoil the atmosphere. Gale sighed wearily, but a part of him was glad it was the night before vacation. Tomorrow he would travel to Tempest and be able to see his family again, which was a relief for him. He hoped the other teachers wouldn't change their attitude towards him when he got back. Oh well… "I think it is the best for me to retire," Gale announced, getting up from the table and grabbing his jacket, "have a good night." He left some money on the table and left. ****** Sylvia had grown up in Ingrassia, but was a native of Falmuth, now Falmenas. She never knew her father or uncle, both of them missing in action during the battle against Tempest, followed by the awakening of the storm dragon, Veldora. Her mother, seeing the kingdom descend into civil war, took the family savings, and ran with her to Ingrassia. They didn't have it easy at all. Her mother, the wife of a high-ranking soldier, who never had the need to work in her life, before long had to become a provider with a little girl in her care. Sylvia grew up in a neighborhood with no luxuries, though not exactly poor, all because her mother turned out great with money. That Sylvia had managed to become a teacher at a school like the Freedom Academy, one of the best in Ingrassia, was only due to her tenacity, it must be said. She knew that she was stubborn, and that if she put her mind to it, she could get anything she wanted. And for this reason, yesterday's rejection, quite public as well, had hurt her pride. But above all, her heart. She got everything she set her mind to, didn't she? Would she give in so easily to a difference of thought? No. She couldn't do that. Incompatible? No. She wouldn't accept that. Sylvia pulled her hood up over her head, hiding her face as much as she could. She could see Gale sensei a few steps up the line, bags in hand, waiting to get to the counter to pay. He told her that he would return home during the holidays, so there could only be one destination on his mind, according to yesterday's fateful conversation. The line was advancing rapidly. Gale sensei bought his ticket and walked away to wait for his airship. Soon it was Sylvia's turn. “Good morning”“Good morning, young lady! Welcome. What destination are you headed for?”Sylvia sighed, a little doubt flooding her chest. If her mother knew about this….“Tempest, please.”“The nearest flight?”“Yes”“Economy or first class?”“Economy”“It would be one gold coin, please.” Sylvia handed over the money with reserve (ONE GOLD COIN!), and after receiving her ticket, she walked away with her own suitcase and sat down to wait, without losing sight of her target.
What am I doing? Have I gone crazy? Do I like him that much? Why am I thinking this now? I already paid a gold coin! A gold coin!!
Sylvia massaged her temple, still hurting because of the alcohol. She was in no condition to think at the moment. Sighing again, she focused her gaze on the teacher in front of her. Gale sensei seemed engrossed in a book.
God, why does he have to be so handsome?
…One of my best friends is a monster…
Sylvia clicked her tongue, feeling a bit jealous. She had never heard him talk about any friends. Much less that he was so closely related to monsters. Was it a girl friend? … But hey, he never talked much about himself, to tell the truth. He didn't talk much in general, he was quiet and composed, always with a calm smile on his face, and great maturity in his eyes. She loved those eyes... Sylvia shook her head, putting those thoughts out of her mind. << First call to Tempest. Passengers heading to Tempest, please come forward to board the aircraft>> A voice was heard in the air, amplified by a magical device. Hearing her, she saw Gale get up from his seat and go to the corresponding aircraft. Sylvia followed suit, relieved that she hadn't been wrong about the destination. Making sure he didn't see her, she followed him to the ship. ******** Gale got out of the airship first and looked around, searching for something. Sylvia followed close behind.“GALE-KUUUUN!”A really beautiful girl, and clearly not human, was a few steps away, catching his attention with her arms in the air. Gale responded with equal enthusiasm upon seeing her.“Ku-chan!”"Gale-kun!" she called again, running towards him and giving him a hug that nearly knocked him off his feet. Sylvia felt pain in her heart “I can't believe you really came! You are here! You are here!”Gale laughed.“You didn't have to come to receive me, and your floor in the labyrinth?”“It's okay, don't worry, I already discussed it with Gadra-dono, everything is organized. Come on!”"Is everyone else here in the city?" Gale asked, taking his suitcase and starting to follow her. Sylvia did the same, keeping her distance.“Only Chloe-chan is here. The others will arrive in the afternoon. We want to have dinner at the Monsters Club, what do you think?”“Oh! Brilliant! Ingrassia's food isn't bad, but it doesn't compare to Tempest's. I´d die for fries!” The two continued talking, and got into a mechanized carriage that passed on rails. Sylvia followed close behind, nervous. She had never seen anything like it, it was a kind of train, which moved at low speed, and never stopped. The passengers got on with the machine still moving, and sat facing the street. The carts weren't very long, so Sylvia had to wait for the next one or she would come face to face with Gale. Apparently it was free, because no one came to charge her, so she sat and waited. Being able to see out during the ride gave you a great view of the city. Sylvia had never seen anything like it, though Ingrassia had come a long way in recent years. A huge amount of people (of all races, monstrous, human and semi-human) moved through the streets, making them noisy. There were food stalls, restaurants, inns, and a shock of sounds and aromas flooded Sylvia's senses, stunning her to such a level that when she realized it, Gale and “Ku-chan” had disappeared. Bewildered, she got off the transport and looked around, but couldn't find them. She was about to panic when she remembered the previous conversation; they were going to a place called the Monsters Club for dinner, she just had to find out where it was and show up there. She only hoped that there weren't too many monsters in that place…. Ok, the first thing was to find a place to stay. Sylvia looked around, looking for someone to ask directions to… looking for a human to ask directions to. ++++++ Gale entered the Monsters Club along with Kenya, Ryota, Alice, Chloe, and Kumara, and they sat at their previously reserved table. This was their favorite place, and from time to time they would gather here to catch up on their lives. The place was full of young people, of all races. They served mostly junk food and alcohol, at a very reasonable price, too. In one corner, there was a projection of the idol of the moment and her band playing a cheeky and catchy song. Gale had never been to a bar in his original world, but he thought it probably would be something like this. Rimuru sensei is amazing, only he could have achieved something like this. "How was your trip to Ruberios, Chloe-chan?" Alice asked, turning her back on Kenya to stop the argument they had been having. Kenya was talking to the waiter, pretending to ignore her. Tsk, these two….“Fine, thanks. The city has come a long way with the reconstruction, I am surprised.”“Well, with the repairs that Rimuru sensei had to pay, it's no wonder. They must have had money to spare, right?”"Yeah…" Chloe commented simply, probably not wanting to speak ill of either of the two demon kings, "And you? How's the adventurer job going?”“Slow! With all this peace, they need us less and less, you know? I've been thinking of staying here, and opening a bakery or something. I bet Miss Shuna would help me. Or maybe in a human settlement, where these types of products do not arrive... I don't know!”“¿Eh? ¿And Kenya?”"What about me?" Kenya asked defensively, receiving the glasses from the waiter and the plate of chips to share.“Are you not dating?”Alice smiled mischievously.“Ken-chan can stay with one of his admirers, if he wants.”“I told you I didn't do anything! Why don't you believe me?”“You two” Ryota intervened. His face looked calm, as always, but a threatening aura came from him “If you don't stop fighting now, I'll make you regret it tomorrow.”The table was silent for a moment. Alice and Kenya looked down, and uttered a "sorry" in a muffled voice. Ryota just answered mh and drank from his recently arrived drink as if he had not said anything. Gale felt a drop on his forehead. When Ryota got like this, it was best to change the subject quickly.“The Revival Festival is coming, isn't it? Do you have plans for the date?”“Oh!” Ku-chan intervened “The masters of the labyrinth will do a presentation in the arena, you will come to see us, right? Rimuru-sama will be there, so we've worked hard.”“Of course, Ku-chan!” Chloe answered, grateful for the change in the conversation.“I think Shuna-sama and Shion-sama will also do a presentation” added Kumara “I hope they don't take away the audience, whenever their fans show up they make a big scandal”“I´ve never seen them act, but they say they are very good. Luminous always tells me about the performance they did at the Tempest Opening Festival, she went to see that concert three times. She likes music a lot.¨Huh? Classical music?” Kenya didn't like the idea very much “how boring, I'll go see Ku-chan, and then I'll retire. Maybe there's some competition to watch in the labyrinth, like last year. Ku-chan, find out the time, okay?”. And so they continued their conversation, making plans for the festival, and for dinner with Rimuru sensei tomorrow. Just as Chloe was commenting how she wanted to buy a new dress to wear at that dinner, there was a commotion near their table. They all turned, curious. A giant High Orc loomed over a (human) woman, who looked scared. Kenya, as hero that he was, immediately got up, followed by Ryota. Alice rolled her eyes (that's why she gets mad at you, Ken-chan). Gale followed behind, fully intent on breaking up any fight. “Who do you think you are, human? If you don't like it, GO! But that bullshit attitude is not accepted here, you hear me?” the High Orc shouted, poking her with his finger. It was so big that the woman shrank in on herself “Go disrespect someone of your ilk, we don't want you lot here.”“Hey, my friend, let's calm down, okay?” Kenya intervened.“Another human? Where do so many of you bugs come from?”“Hey, that attitude goes against the wishes of the demon king, and you know it.”“Don't you dare disrespect the name of the great Rimuru-sama with your dirty tongue! He would never accept a human mistreating one of his own! He only accepts them because he needs them to achieve his worldview, otherwise he would have killed them all like the vermin that they are!”"Exactly!" a hobgoblin yelled from a table, and other monsters nodded their heads. Gale looked at the woman more closely, somewhat concerned, as Kenya continued to try to handle the situation. And then he noticed.“¿Sylvia sensei?”Sylvia nearly fell out of her chair hearing him speak. At that moment, Gale knew that whatever was happening was probably her fault. But what was she doing in Tempest to begin with? No. What was she doing in a place called Monsters Club???“Does she come with you, human?”Gale sighed and crouched in an apologetic bow.“I'm sorry for the inconvenience that the teacher may have caused you, she is new to Tempest and doesn't know the proper manners here. I'll take her, so continue with your quiet night.” All to avoid fights. He was sure that Kenya could take on that High Orc, but if the other monsters decided to act, they would be in trouble. Without waiting for the High Ork to reply, he grabbed Sylvia's elbow and began to drag her out of the premises. Kenya and Ryota followed.“Gale, do you know her?”“Ken-chan, please pay my bill and hers.”“Aaah? Your girlfriend makes a scandal and I have to pay?”“I'll give it back to you later, don't cry like a baby. And she's not my girlfriend," he added, walking away with his colleague still on his arm. When they got far enough, Gale stood in front of her with his arms crossed “Sylvia sensei, with all due respect, are you crazy?” At least she had the decency to look embarrassed.“Nno…? I don't know, okay?”“What are you doing here?”“It's a coincidence!”“What happened in there?”“I didn't do anything!”“You cannot behave the same way as in Ingrassia here, that was very dangerous.”“Why do you assume it was my fault?”“Was it not?”“….”Gale was already losing patience.“What are you doing here in Tempest, city of monsters, if you dislike them so much?”“….”“Sylvia sensei!”“….”“….”“….”“Alright. It´ll stay like this, I won't ask more questions, but first thing in the morning, you'll take an aircraft to Ingrassia, okay?”Giving the conversation as over, he turned to go back to his friends. However, he felt a tug on his shirt. He turned to see her again. Sylvia kept her eyes on the ground, and whispered something that Gale couldn't hear.“Excuse me, I didn't understand you.”“Why is it so bad that I don't like monsters?”“I already told you, Sylvia sensei. In Ingrassia, in the Empire, in any human-only settlement you go to, you can think and say whatever you want, but coming here to cause trouble…”“I´m the one causing problems? They behave genocidally, but I am the one who is wrong? Why do we have to be under their rule, mh? We can govern ourselves!”“Sylvia, I'm asking you, lower your voice.”“I don't want to! My father and my uncle not only died in that war, they disappeared completely. I had to grow up in a country that was not my own, seeing my mother's face get disfigured with grief and exhaustion day after day, but I am the one who is wrong? Can't you have a little compassion for me?”“You speak as if you were the only one who has suffered, as if humans had not done their own war crimes and were saints walking the earth. Trust me, it's not like that.”“And you know a lot about that, don't you?”Gale took a deep breath, trying to contain himself. The fact that he was there was an indication of the human's wickedness. But he couldn't tell her. And well, he was also a child during that war, so he couldn't know exactly what happened……. Oh, but there was someone who new.He grabbed Sylvia's arm again with a quiet "come with me" and began to drag her in the opposite direction of the inns. “What do you think you're doing?”“It seems that you have a lot in your heart that you want to shout, and that is fine, but if you are going to do it, do it with the right person. I'll take you to him, so just follow me.”“Huh?” They walked for a long time at a fast pace. At some point, Gale let go of her arm and simply walked towards his destination, completely ignoring her. Sylvia didn't know Tempest, so she had no choice but to follow him in silence. Little by little they left behind the noises of the night and approached quieter neighborhoods, until they reached a huge gate with a door. Gale just stood there, waiting. In less time than expected, a boy of around 10 years old appeared before him and looked them up and down.“Good night, Moss,” the boy nodded without saying anything. “Could you ask sensei if I can see him now?”“The Master is resting.”“Just ask him. If he's in sleep mode, I'll forget about it, but if he's willing to receive me…”“Alright,” and disappeared. Sylvia looked at him nervously, but Gale ignored her. Moss returned a few seconds later. “The Master will receive you” and the huge door opened."Thank you," Gale told him, beginning to walk towards the gardens on the other side. Moss disappeared again, trusting that Gale knew the way. Sylvia stumbled after him. While they walked (the patio was huge), Gale spoke again in a low voice “At the center there is someone who lived through that war. You can tell him how you feel, but be careful how you talk to him, okay? He won't do anything to you because you come with me, but I wouldn't trust his subordinates, they can be deadly.” Sylvia paled, wondering what she had gotten herself into. At the end of the path, there was a small and simple house, with strange sliding doors made of wood and paper. One of those doors opened, and a silver-blue haired beauty peeked out with a smile. Gale smiled back in delight.“Gaale-kuuun”“Sensei!”“What a joy to see you! Look at you! So handsome, I'm jealous, hahahahaha!” A drop seemed to run down the face of the young man. Sensei took a quick look at the girl “Come in, come in. I'm sorry I don't have snacks to offer, they have me somewhat grounded, hahahahaha, these traitors.”“And why, sensei? It's strange that Shuna-san would deny you anything.”Sensei shrugged.“A little mischief without importance, I don't know why they make such a fuss” Gale raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. Sensei clicked his tongue "I wanted to see the Magic and Science Forum without so much fuss, so I more or less ran away" he explained, as he led them towards a low table. Gale kicked off his shoes, so Sylvia followed suit nervously, and they sat on the floor around the small table."The one from Ingrassia? And you didn't stop by to see me, sensei…” Gale looked like a pouting spoiled child.“I know, I'm sorry. I had every intention of going while I was on incognito, but I was found out and I've had Diablo and Souei glued to the hip ever since. They didn't even let me sleep alone in a closed room. Honestly, I don't think we're alone, even now” Sensei looked around “I WON'T DO IT AGAIN!” he yelled into the air, and clucked again, shaking his head. Gale chuckled, clearly not believing him, and turned to Sylvia, solemn. “Sylvia sensei, this here is my sensei, who saved my life and took care of me and my friends since we were little, and the demon king of this country, Rimuru Tempest” Sylvia paled a little at this “Rimuru sensei, this is my colleague, Sylvia sensei.”“Oh! …Isn't that too formal a way to introduce your girlfriend, Gale-kun?”“No, no, she's not my girlfriend.”“Oh… “Sensei looked at both of them with confusion.“You see, I'm sorry to have to bother you with this at this hour, but Sylvia sensei has something to tell you and she must leave first thing in the morning for Ingrassia. Isn't that right, Sylvia sensei?”Sylvia looked at him as if he had told her to throw herself into a bonfire. Rimuru Tempest, the Demon King, looked at her curiously, waiting. But Sylvia couldn't get her voice out. Gale pursed his lips and tried to help her.“You see, Sylvia has a complicated history with one of the past wars and she wants to know your side of the story, sensei, since she was a little girl and she only knows what her mother told her.” One of Rimuru's eyebrows went up and he gave Gale a strange look, perhaps a little annoyed. “OK….” Gale looked at Sylvia, encouraging her. She cleared her throat, trying to get her voice out and remembering Gale's earlier warning to be careful with her words. It was not easy. Was this the monster that killed her father? Getting up her courage, she told him her family history, from the disappearances to her life in exile in Ingrassia. Rimuru listened attentively, his golden eyes fixed on her at all times. It seemed like he was getting into her soul and that was extremely uncomfortable. When he finished, there was a small silence. "I see," he commented, "do you feel better after telling me?"“Eh? Is that all you have to say? Can't you at least tell me where their bodies are? We don't even have a grave to visit them!”“If what you are looking for is an apology, little one, you are wasting your time.” Even Gale was surprised by that answer. Trying to prevent Sylvia from jumping on him and being immediately murdered by Diablo, who was probably around, Gale decided to intervene.“Sensei, can't you at least give us your version of the facts? I do not know it. I lived through the war against the Empire, but not the war against Falmuth…”“Are you sure you want to hear that? It may not be as healing as you think.”"Yes!" Sylvia yelled. Rimuru threw a mmmhhh not very convinced, but then he seemed to make up his mind. And so, he began to tell them: “At that time, the city was much smaller and simpler than it is now. There was no technology like trains, and there was no labyrinth, nor any of the big buildings you see now, which did exist in Falmuth, that was a great power at the time. It was mostly residential houses and a few small stalls, but it was already known to be booming. We had alliances with Blummund and Dwargon, and different races had already started to come together within the city.I was in Ingrassia, taking care of Gale and the others when it happened. The Western Church and the King of Falmuth had colluded, taking advantage of my absence, and attacked the city.” Rimuru gave Sylvia a deep look. “You are angry about the death of your relatives, who were soldiers, right? War was their way of living, they knew what it implied, little girl, don't forget that. When I returned, I found my city destroyed, and my people dead. Women, children, couples who were walking along the main road, they killed them all. Friends of mine among them, close friends. And for that, I cannot apologize. Have I killed humans and ordered the killing of humans? Yes. Humans tend to resent me for that, I'm used to it, but it's because they have short-term memories. They forget their own sins when they have an enemy stronger than themselves to "defend" against... I don't know if your father or your uncle were among those who murdered my people or among the army they sent later to finish the job, but don't forget one thing: I never harmed humans outside of my territory. Not even at the war against the empire. But inside? I have no mercy. I'm a monster, don't forget that...... “ Rimuru sighed, as if trying to calm down “As for their bodies, as you know, they disappeared with the awakening of the Storm Dragon, which was the reason why no one had claimed the forest before, not even the old demon lords. It was feared that the seal would be broken, and well, that's what happened”. There was a prolonged silence after that. Sylvia looked down at her knees, tears in her eyes. Rimuru shot Gale an annoyed look. “And you,” he said to his student. Gale tensed “Are you aware that today the empress of Sarion hit me with her fan, Shuna has not given me any food in two days, Diablo is driving me crazy, I had to fix Veldora and Ramiris's pranks, and save an entire planet in the process, among other things that I don't even want to talk about… All I wanted was at least one quiet night, and you come up with this? Couldn't the lady wait?” Gale turned his gaze to the window, somewhat embarrassed. Rimuru raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look. Then he sighed “So she WAS a potential lover, huh? By Veldanava, Gale, if you're going to pick an enemy of the state as your girlfriend, at least give me a warning first.” Sylvia looked up (still teary-eyed) and cast a hopeful look at Gale, who was flushed. Seeing that none of the lovebirds said anything, Rimuru ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. If he needed breathing, these youngsters would have killed him from lack of oxygen. “Alright. If she's so important to you, I can talk to Youm-kun, and together we'll see if we can help the family with something.”“Yeom…kun…”"Falmenas´s king," Gale explained quietly.“And” Rimuru continued, “it will be completely confidential, is that clear? With a magical contract included. The reparations for that war have already been resolved, we cannot make the issue public again.”“Yes” answered the young teachers with a quiet voice. After that, Rimuru threw them out of his house with a wave of his hands, indicated to Gale that he would see him tomorrow at dinner, and closed the door in their faces. They both stayed for a second, looking at the sliding door, stunned. The first to recover was Gale, who began to walk towards the exit. He could feel Moss's annoyed look at the back of his neck. Or Diablo. He really hoped it was Moss…. “Well…” he said to Sylvia, who was following him, “that turned out worse than I expected. I think we hit a weak point, huh? Better not mention it again.”Sylvia looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and smiled, nodding.“I'm sorry he got mad at you.”Gale shrugged.“He won't be for much. I'll be ultra charming tomorrow night. He can't stay mad at us for long, we're like his putative children.” Sylvia chuckled. Then she stopped short. “My god, are you telling me that you are something like the adopted son of one of the most powerful demon kings in the world? Did I fell in love with a fucking prince?”“Don't be ridiculous, I'm not a prince!” Sylvia didn't look convinced, but kept walking. Gale shook his head. “I'll accompany you to your inn, Sylvia. And I'll pick you up tomorrow to take you to the airport.”“Are you seriously going to kick me out of the country? I'm on vacation, the owner of the inn told me that the hot springs here are famous.”“Just go with your mother, for God's sake... Maybe for the next vacation…”Gale commented in a low voice. Sylvia smiled, with a little more hope, and said "fine" in a low voice. Perhaps it was too soon to push him any further than she already had. **** Rimuru slammed the door, wishing he had something to eat in his hand to calm him down. "Hi hi hi hi, should I dismember that impudent human, Rimuru-sama?" Diablo's voice came flying into his ears before he could see the primordial's body, which appeared out of nowhere. “Of course not! Where do you get such terrifying ideas?” he said with an angry voice “But I'll dismember you if you don't bring me something sweet like right now, steal it from the kitchen if you have to”. He wasn't serious about dismemberment, but he needed sugar, now.
<< Master's body does not need food to live, so the statement of needing sugar is not correct >>
I already know, Ciel. It's a manner of speaking.
"Hi hi hi hi, of course, Rimuru-sama. I'll tell Moss right away.” Just do it yourself and get off my back for two minutes! Rimuru thought, but decided not to press any further. He sat at the same table to wait for his food, while Diablo gave the telepathic order and asked for something sweet. “Shuna blocked the kitchen with magic, but Moss will get something for you in the shopping district, Rimuru-sama. I'll personally dispose of the evidence later.”“Thank you.”“I couldn't help but notice that you kept the version of Veldora's supposed awakening, Rimuru-sama.”“Of course. I can't air state secrets to spoiled girls, can I? And it's for the better. Especially if those two end up together.” Rimuru thought about it for a moment “Diablo, if those two end up as a couple, keep a close eye on her, please. She may be using Gale for revenge.”"Of course, Rimuru-sama, you didn't need to say it at all.” Rimuru nodded, and saw Diablo bow and disappear.
<< No murderous intent was felt coming from subject Sylvia, master >>
Oh really? That's good news. In any case, it is better not to let your guard down.
<< I agree. Do you regret it, master? To use those humans as a sacrifice to ascend? >>
Rimuru thought about it for a moment. No. He had no regrets at all. His heart really was that of a monster, huh?